New Hockey Canada boss Katherine Henderson calls Calgary summit humbling

Hockey Canada's new leader called what she heard at its summit humbling and eye-opening.

Katherine Henderson took over as president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada this summer amid calls for culture change in both the organization and the sport. She was previously Curling Canada's CEO.

The two-day Beyond The Boards Summit — that fell within Henderson's first official week on the job — examined toxic masculinity in the elite men's game as a root cause of racism, sexism, homophobia and discrimination in the sport.

"It was very eye-opening to see how many people were willing to put their mistakes on the table, to be vulnerable about things that maybe they're not proud of in the past," Henderson said Saturday.

"When I talk about humility and vulnerability, there were a lot of people in the room, I would say the men in particular, that were examining who they were, what they brought to the table and how they contributed to the culture."

The audience heard from Bill Proudman, who co-founded White Men as Full Diversity Partners and has also worked with the NHL, as well as federal sports minister Carla Qualtrough.

Former NHL player and sexual abuse survivor Sheldon Kennedy, who has advocated for child abuse education and prevention for 27 years, was also among the speakers.

"We're not winning gold medals off the ice in this space just yet," McLaughlin told attendees Saturday. "We need to learn from others. We need to deliver. That's outcome No. 1."

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Kennedy said all organizations under the hockey umbrella must communicate and work together in making psychological and physical safety a priority at the rink.

He's says he's been able to help police, government